Li Zhirou
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Li Zhirou (李知柔; died 900), formally the Prince of Xue (薛王), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, who briefly served as a chancellor in 895 during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong, to whom he was a distant relative.
It is not known when Li Zhirou was born. He was descended from Emperor Ruizong through Emperor Ruizong's son Li Ye (李業) the Prince of Xue (who was posthumously honored, by his older brother Emperor Xuanzong, Crown Prince Huixuan). Li Zhirou was descended through the line of Li Ye's descendants that inherited the title of Prince of Xue, including Li Zhirou's great-grandfather Li Quan (李琄), grandfather Li Sui (李邃), and father Li Mi (李宓).[1]
After Li Zhirou inherited the title of Prince of Xue, he served as the minister of imperial clan affairs (宗正卿, Zongzheng Qing). He later served as the mayor of Jingzhao (京兆, i.e., the region of the Tang imperial capital Chang'an). While he was the mayor of Jingzhao, he sifted the long-unusable Zhengguo Canal and Bai Canal (白渠) such that they could be used for irrigation again and was thus much praised by the people of Jingzhao, who wanted to build a monument to commemorate his contributions; he declined. He was later put in charge of the directorates of finances and of the salt and iron monopolies.[2][3]
